Slipping Into Neutral

(Poem)

Slipping into neutral:
so easy to do.
Permitted,
the world slides by
unseen at the side.
Allowed,
events roll by unmarked,
Watched with unfocused eyes.
Sanctioned,
the fog falls and the day dulls.
Smoothed,
time falls away;
the hours, the seconds, the days.
Ease life into emptiness.
Struggle against nothing,
accept all, let it be.
Release the brain gears,
Slip into neutral and just let it lie.

Written a while ago. But my first poetry offering here. Be gentle with me.

It is about allowing yourself to let the pressures of the world go, which can seem like giving in, retreating, but it’s more about self care and letting the body and brain reset. Stress is a killer these days, allowing yourself to disconnect not just from social media but the whole world is meditative. And I’ve never been good at guided meditations. My brain struggles with being told by another how to be, so creates chaos within. One time I was asked to consider boxes, of three different sizes and just concentrate on them. My boxes gained colour, arms, legs, and faces, they got up and danced with each other. I struggled not to giggle out loud. I certainly wasn’t relaxed. To just let nature wash over me works so much better.

I also watch my chickens, we have bantams Pekins and they have pompom tails which wobble as they move and they make me giggle and I’m allowed to as well. We’ve also had rescue Lowham Browns and they have such personalities. Their simple scratching, preening, dust bathing etc is so simple and easy. Put me in a seat swing watching the chooks on a warm, sunny day and relaxation is guaranteed.

There have been times in life when I’ve felt overwhelmed and this survival technique has taken over almost subconsciously, easily, and eventually I re-emerge strong and ready to fight if needed. It is an odd feeling, a serenity of sorts, but also a disconnect. It’s like looking up into the tree canopy and allowing your brain waves to synchronise with the swaying of the leaves in the gentle breeze, for the splashes of sunlight that speckle through the weaving leaves to be in tune with your synapses firing. If possible to sway in a swing and allow the body to experience the movement of nature at a slow pace.

It’s not something we adults often do, but in the late summer I spent a good hour in an empty children’s playground, lying on a child’s swing laced like a spiders web; blue sky, wooden pole, and green leaves above me, and rocked slowly with watching the trees, and clouds, and birds, and listening to the subtle sound of the countryside surround me. Grounding without the ground. Maybe airing? I felt serene, relaxed, free. I felt worries slip from me for a short while. No longer careworn I was carefree for a while. I thoroughly recommend it.

I don’t think we give ourselves permission often enough go take that step back from the world, to notice the little things and take pleasure in them. To close our eyes and just soak in what is, just being and switching off. Slipping our brain-gears into neutral. We need to remember what brought us that calm pleasure as children - I always loved swinging - and seek it out again. It isn’t childish, it isn’t selfish, it is necessary.

What do you do to switch off?

So anyway, first poem offering, there will be more.

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